


It'll Be Fine

by TheAsexualofSpades



Series: Quarantine Drabbles [84]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Hugh is a movie buff, M/M, Movie Night on the Enterprise, Paul loves his husband so much
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:00:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24754375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAsexualofSpades/pseuds/TheAsexualofSpades
Summary: It's movie night for Paul and Hugh. They both know the movie is only the first part; afterward is the discussion about the movie where Hugh gets to be all wonderfully academic about everything and Paul gets to stare adoringly at his brilliant husband.Hugh's picked a horror movie for tonight.
Relationships: Hugh Culber/Paul Stamets, Paul Stamets & Sylvia Tilly
Series: Quarantine Drabbles [84]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1677655
Comments: 5
Kudos: 32





	It'll Be Fine

**Author's Note:**

> i'm trying so hard to branch out into more fandom spaces that i don't normally write for so please lemme know if you guys like this one
> 
> also i have OPINIONS about vampire presentation and use in movies in case you didn't notice

Fandom: Star Trek

Prompt: This movie is really scary, but you’re into it so I’m trying not to cover my face the whole time but—WHAT IS THAT

* * *

It's gonna be fine. It's gonna be totally, absolutely, positively fine.

Paul takes a deep breath and presses the doorbell. The soft chime rings through the hall and a moment later, Hugh’s smiling face appears.

“Hey,” he says, pulling Paul into a quick side-hug, “glad you could make it tonight!”

“It’s movie night,” Paul says, following Hugh inside, “of course I made it.”

“Well, I just figured that with the review coming up next month—“

Paul scoffs, rolling his eyes. “It’s just an excuse for a bunch of stuffed shirts that don’t know a particle accelerator from a quantum centrifuge to come in and ask me a lot of questions they don’t understand the answers to.”

“I know,” Hugh chuckles, sitting him down on the couch and grabbing the popcorn, “I’ve heard.”

Paul rubs the back of his head sheepishly. “Sorry. I don’t wanna ruin tonight by complaining.”

“You won’t, babe.” Hugh gives his hand a squeeze. “I’m just making sure you’re not gonna spend tonight stressing about something work-related.”

Paul shakes his head. “Tilly’s got everything else under control.”

“She’s a spitfire, huh?”

“Oh, you’d love her.”

“I do get to meet her, right?”

“Absolutely.” Paul takes a handful of popcorn, mindful of getting the unpopped kernels all over the couch. “Next month after the review is the ‘party,’ or whatever, and you can meet her then.”

“She as hard to drag away from work as you?”

Wait no…Paul opens his mouth to apologize but Hugh gently bumps their shoulders together to show he’s just teasing.

“I don’t think so,” Paul says instead, leaning into Hugh’s side as Hugh flicks the screen on, “but, then again, I think I’m harder to drag away from work than most people.”

“Well, at least you’re self-aware.” Hugh pecks his forehead and starts scrolling through the movie catalog. “It’s my pick tonight, right?”

“Yes, dear doctor,” Paul says, rolling his eyes fondly, “as you reminded us this morning.”

“Just checking.” Hugh scrolls through until he finds the movie he wants. “Where the…ah. Here it is.”

Paul frowns at the title he selects. The poster is barely bright enough to see anything, but if he squints, he can make out the title. “ _Just One Bite?_ ”

“Yep. Got a call from my _tía_ about it yesterday.” Hugh presses ‘play’ and sits back on the couch. “Don’t worry, I checked it for triggers.”

Paul nods, still squinting at the poster. “It looks dark.”

“Well, it is a horror movie, dear.”

“No, I mean it’s _literally_ too dark. I can’t see a damn thing.”

“Oh. Hang on.” Hugh grabs the remote and turns up the brightness. “Better?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Ah. On second thought, maybe it would’ve been better to just leave it on low. Now Paul can see the creepy-ass poster.

“Is this…a vampire movie?”

“Uh-huh.” Hugh takes a large bite of popcorn, still managing to _not get kernels on the damn couch,_ the wizard. “It’s more in line with the reinterpretation of the vampire as a parasitic embodiment of the rich due to their influence on the working classes during late-stage capitalism rather than the lure of the Other, but it should still be entertaining.”

“I love it when you get all academic about movies,” Paul murmurs, leaning his head on Hugh’s shoulder as the opening credits start rolling.

“Well, I’ve gotta keep up with you talking about scientific inaccuracies somehow,” Hugh responds, nudging Paul with his elbow. “Move. I gotta put the popcorn somewhere it won’t spill.”

“But I miss you,” Paul whines when Hugh pulls away for a second.

“Alright, alright, calm down,” Hugh scolds playfully, wrapping Paul in his arms. “Better?”

Paul hums contentedly, settling in to watch the movie. It’s gonna be fine. He has his husband right next to him and vampires aren’t that scary.

“Okay, maybe I _am_ just getting old,” Paul mutters when the protagonist’s friend starts talking about vampires, “but the whole idea of vampires with blood dripping down their chins just—close your _goddamn_ mouths! That is your food!”

Hugh snorts. “Maybe you are getting old, dear.”

“Like, if someone was fucking eating spaghetti or some shit, and it was dripping everywhere, that’s not sexy! It’s gross! Use a napkin for fuck’s sake!”

Hugh throws his head back and laughs. “I just—I’m just imagining a vampire com—coming up and you just—“ He can’t finish his thought. He’s laughing too hard.

“And they always look so fucking _smug,_ ” Paul says in disgust, “like ‘ooh, look at me,this is what gives me sustenance.” Yeah, well, listen here, all I can fucking see is a lack of _basic hygiene,_ my tardigrade has more self-control than you do! You’re how many centuries old? Fucking act like it!”

There’s a loud _thump._

Paul peers over the edge of the couch. “Why’re you on the floor?”

“Because,” Hugh gasps, still giggling, “you made me laugh so hard I fell—fell off the goddamn couch.”

“Oh. You want back up?”

“If you don’t mind.”

Paul grins and reaches down to pull Hugh back onto the couch. Just as he’s about to pull him down, the first jump scare happens.

“Whoa,” Hugh laughs, “easy there, I’m coming.”

He resettles himself at Paul’s side. Paul, meanwhile, is staring at the screen. He’s not too big to admit that he was startled by that, causing him to not pull Hugh gently down onto the couch but jerk all of his limbs in and conveniently forgetting he’s holding onto Hugh. He shakes his head.

_Get a hold of yourself, Stamets.  
_

Hugh raises an eyebrow when he wraps himself more firmly around him. “Is this you making sure I don’t fall off again?”

Paul nods, planting his chin on Hugh’s shoulder and leaning up for a kiss. “Don’t go anywhere.”

“I won’t. Now shh.”

Paul likes to believe he’s a brave person. He knows he’s not what _Starfleet_ would call brave but you know, they’re all idiots in block-color uniforms that think everything has to be theirs in order for it to be truly useful. The exception to this is the doctors. _Those_ people are brave. He presses a kiss to Hugh’s cheek.

But, uh, Paul’s not too proud to admit he startles easily. It’s one of the reasons he likes working with Tilly. She demands his attention all the time when they’re in the same room and she’s bright enough to keep up with him. So he doesn’t have _time_ to sink into his work and his head because he’s got to stay aware. Which means he can’t get startled as easily.

And yeah, this movie doesn’t have the best special effects or plot—not that _anyone_ would be watching this for the plot, let’s be real here please—but it does have jump scares. Lots of them.

And yeah, there’s something to be said about the fact that it has to rely on jump scares because its inability to create the sense of approaching dread speaks to the weakness of the plot and the characters’ lack of—

Wow, he sounds like Hugh. That’s no bad thing.

Paul squeaks when the soundtrack crashes loudly, burying his face in Hugh’s shoulder.

“Whoa, hey,” Hugh says, “too loud?”

“A little. Can we—“

“On it.”

Well, it helps a little. During one of the calmer moments, Paul sneaks a glance at Hugh. He’s watching the movie with that wonderful little concentrated furrow between his brows, the one that means he’s really interested in whatever he’s looking at. Paul smiles fondly to himself as he imagines all the different things racing through his dear doctor’s head right now; the analyses of the tropes, the presentation of the characters, how it reflects the time period it’s been created to embody…

He’s so lucky.

Not so lucky as to anticipate the next scare, though, as it completely blindsides him. _Fuck,_ why do the sudden appearances of bags of nope get him so badly?

He’s not gonna just hide in Hugh’s shoulder the whole time. He’s not. He wants to listen to all of Hugh’s wonderful dissections of the film afterward, which means he needs to be aware of what he’s referring to. He can do this. For Hugh.

“It’ll be fine,” he mutters to himself, too quiet for Hugh to hear.

It was not, in fact, going to be fine.

Too many jump scares later, Paul gives up and turns his face into Hugh’s shoulder, closing his eyes and just listening. Strangely enough, even though his imagination can now run wild with literally anything in both existence and nonexistence to terrify him, it’s easier. Or maybe he’s just blocking everything out now.

It takes a few moments for him to register that there’s no sound. Ah. That’s probably not good. Then a hand prods his shoulder gently.

“Paul? Paul, look at me.”

Oh. It’s Hugh. Paul looks up to see Hugh gazing down at him, concern written plainly on his features. He smiles a little when Paul meets his gaze.

“Hey, honey,” he says, “what’s wrong?”

“Wrong? Nothing.”

“Not with that tone of voice,” Hugh corrects gently, “come on, what is it?”

“I, uh,” Paul stammers, trying to hide the growing embarrassment he’s sure is on his face, “I’m—well—“

“Take your time,” Hugh says, rubbing Paul’s shoulders.

Paul swallows. This is stupid. Why can’t he just _say_ it?

_‘Cause it’s embarrassing._

_Just do it._

“This movie is really scary,” Paul blurts out, “but, uh, you’re really into it and I-I wanna be able to do the talking that we always do afterwards ‘cause you’re really smart about this stuff so I don’t wanna hide my face the whole time but— _what is that?”_

Hugh glances at the screen but Paul’s already hiding in his shoulder again. “It’s—oh. That’s a…well, that’s unfortunate.”

“That’s a fucking _vampire_ and there’s blood _everywhere_ and—“

“Wait, wait, Paul—“ and now Hugh’s _laughing—_ “no, Paul, you gotta look at this.”

“But it’s—“

“I know, honey,” Hugh says, voice softening, “I know it’s scary, and I’m sorry, but I think I just figured out how to make it less scary.”

Paul warily peeks out at Hugh. “…how?”

“Because the frame I paused it on makes the vampire look like Lorca when I surprised him with the hypospray.”

_Wait, what?_

Paul nervously looks at the screen and yeah, if he ignores the blood and the fangs it— _oh my god it totally does._

“He…he looks like you jabbed him with _three_ at once,” Paul manages.

“Can you imagine,” Hugh snickers, “if it was me versus a vampire with only hyposprays?”

“You’d kick his pale ass.”

“Yes,” Hugh says grandly, “yes, I would.”

He reaches down and pulls Paul into a cuddle. “I’d protect you,” he murmurs into Paul’s ear, “while you insulted him for not knowing his basic hygiene.”

Paul snorts. “That’d be great.”

“Hey,” Hugh says, pulling back, “you don’t have to put up with things just to make me happy. I’m happy spending time with you, babe.”

“I know,” Paul mutters, “I just…I _really_ like listening to you talk about movies.”

“Well, we can stop this one,” Hugh snorts, “I don’t know why my _tía_ recommended this one. It’s full of plot holes and horrible tropes.”

“Maybe that’s why,” Paul suggests, relaxing a little into Hugh’s arms, “so you could be all righteously angry at it.”

“I mean, come on, do they really expect us to believe that he _didn’t_ understand that—“

Paul smiles as Hugh starts talking animatedly about the use of the travel narrative in the film. He loves him. So much.

_You know,_ he thinks as Hugh launches into a tangent about how the vampire represents the fear of the monstrous elite, _it did turn out fine after all._

And hey, if he has nightmares tonight, he’s got his dear doctor to protect him.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Come yell at me on tumblr while we're all in quarantine. 
> 
> https://a-small-batch-of-dragons.tumblr.com/


End file.
